Lupercalia
by AntlerENVY
Summary: Kagome is kidnapped for the millionith time by some cult followers whose leader claims to be the Mayan God of Chocolate. Some rituals are just too weird... and they think that they are doing her a favor! ::Valentine's Fic::


* * *

Lupercalia

* * *

"Listen, I know that I'm your captive and all that jazz, but could you _please _loosen these chains, they're _really _beginning to bite into my skin." Kagome tried flashing them a soft, feminine, blushing smile, but it ended up coming out more pained and annoyed than anything else.

One of the men – his light hair told her that he was probably the oldest of the three, because she hadn't seen his face yet – raised a hand, and halted the small procession of women. Turning, Kagome was stunned to see that there was no way he could have been much older than her. But with his light features, and the lack of demonic power, the only other thing that she could think was that he was a foreigner. Which was only reinforced by his thick accent. "Listen 'ere, missy." He growled out, and for a moment, Kagome saw a flash of serpentine fangs, and it made her reconsider that maybe he _was _a demon, and she was just loosing her demon sensing abilities. "I don' wanna be ha'in no trouble from the likes a' _'ou _, so don' go smartin' off then, awright?"

Kagome blinked, trying to place his accent. "You. . . aren't from around here, are you?" she asked, not needing to fake her curiosity. She had never seen a foreigner this far in the past . . . well, except for the occasional demon from China . And if he _was _a demon, then she couldn't help but wonder why she felt so. . . comfortable in his presence.

The other two men, who were actually _older_ than the foreigner, and probably related, had a good laugh at her expense.

"Don't be daft, miss." A girl from behind her elbowed her in the back. "That there has to be Quetzacoatl!" Kagome caught a tremor in the girl's voice, but only sensed excitement in her tone.

"Quetzalcoatl?" The name was foreign, but familiar. Maybe she had heard it in a history class? She studied him, trying to see if she could recognize his features. He was tall, and extremely handsome. She had no doubt _why _the young girl had a tremor in her voice. His hair was the color of fire – white in some light, red in others, but in the pale light of the morning, it was the comforting color of soft hay. His beard, combed clean, unlike the other two, reached down to his clavicle.

"He's the god ( shouldn't this be capitalized ? See below ) of the snakes, that one!" Another girl whispered in harsh tones. "You can see it in his eyes!"

"Can _'ou _then?" Quetzalcoatl asked, his yellow eyes (yowza! Were those _slits?_) raking over Kagome's scantily clad form. He looked confused for a second, and then he smiled. "_'ou _ain't 'rom 'round 'ere, either, a'ncha girlie?"

In a moment of clarity, Kagome realized as she stared in to his eyes, that maybe this _was _a God. . . it would explain his appearance _and _why she felt comfortable around him. . . it would explain _everything, _actually – including how he had managed to steal her from the camp without alerting _anyone _to his presence. But it didn't explain why they hadn't taken Sango as well. . .

The prescesion continued, and Kagome bit back a moan as the metal cuffs cut in to her skin. She twisted her wrists against the holdings, but all she ended up doing was smearing her blood on the inside of the cuffs. "Ouch. . ." she complained, sending a pleading look to Quetzacoatl's back. "This _really _hurts, you know."

Another girl, farther back in the procession, snorted in an unfeminine manner and Kagome turned to glare at her. "You got a problem?" She asked, annoyed that she had to get a tetanus shot (again!) if she got back home.

The girl, who appeared to be just a little younger than Kagome, shook her head, a cocky smile playing on her face. "Listen to you – complaining before the first lash is struck."

Kagome paled considerably. "Lash?" She asked, although she knew she would regret it.

The girl nodded. "Well, of course! It's Lupercalia tomorrow, and that means –"

"What's Lupercalia?" Kagome asked. "I mean, today is Valentine's Day, but _that _hasn't been thought up yet. . ."

Quetzalcoatl whipped around, and point a clawed finger at Kagome's throat. "'Old your tongue, girlie." He commanded, sneering at her, and Kagome found herself unable to use her tongue. She tried to speak, to tell him that _he _should hold _his _tongue, but hers remained immobile.

"The Snake God has magic powers." One girl whispered, but Kagome couldn't tell which, since they were all behind her. "If you bleed when he whips you, then you'll be a mother before the year is out."

Kagome snorted, and began to realize that Lupercalia must be a fertility festival. _And from the looks of all of these girls, _Kagome thought, _men must only capture virgins. _

"He must be the Snake God!" Kagome recognized the haughty tone of the snide girl. "If he can make _that _one shut up." Kagome scowled, and fumed up at Quetzalcoatl– after all, it was _his _fault that she couldn't defend herself against that psycho bitch. And he certainly wasn't making _her _bit her tongue, then, was he?

Quetzalcoatl glanced over his shoulder at Kagome and smiled at her. Then he looked over her, to the girls behind her. "You best be 'olding your tongue too, missy." He said, smiling. "If _'ou _don' cease yo' incess'ant pra'ling, yo'tongue goes next."

The girls were relatively quiet after that.

When they reached the high plateau of hill, Quetzalcoatl raised his hand to stop the precession again. "Tie the lil' missies to the trees." He commanded, and cut the rope, separating Kagome from the rest of the girls. "Yo' goin' to be the 'ilight of the evenin,' tho, girlie." He smiled, and tied her to a post nearest to the fire pit that one of the men was preparing, while the other one tied the girl up. "'afta ol, it ain't every day that we get a girlie from the future to sit in on the Lupercalia 'estival. And it is so 'ard to find a 'irgin in yo' time."

Kagome tried to retort, but her tongue continued to betray her. Closing her eyes tight, she prayed. _Help me, Inuyasha! _She cracked open her eyes, only to see that the men were stripping. Squeezing them shut again, she beat her head against the pole behind her. _If you don't. . . I may lose more than a few layers of skin! _

* * *

"How in the HELL did someone sneak in to our camp and steal Kagome!?" Inuyasha demanded, pointing at her empty sleeping bag. Her yellow back pack was knocked over, and a few items were scattered about, indicating that there had been a struggle – and that they had all slept through it.

Sango frowned. "I don't like the looks of this, Inuyasha." She said, frowning. "You remember what tomorrow is, don't you?"

Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently. "C'mon, you're going to tell me anyways – what's tomorrow?"

"Lupercalia." Miroku frowned, rubbing his hands over the site of the incident, trying to feel for any supernatural activity.

Inuyasha continued to tap his foot, and he began to growl.

Sango looked at him, shocked. "You mean to tell me you don't know what Lupercalia is?"

"Listen, when I was growing up, I didn't exactly participate with the rest of the little boys and girls." Inuyasha scowled at them, angry that they would make him bring up the memory.

Sango sighed. "Lupercalia is the fertility festival – when village men capture pretty young virgins and whip them with the hides of animal skins!"

Inuyasha sighed. "Oh, well, that's fine then."

Miroku started, and stared, shocked. "Excuse me, Inuyasha, but I think that's the opposite of fine – I think that Kagome's in grave danger!"

Inuyasha shook his head. "You said that they only take _pretty virgins. _I don't know if Kagome qualifies for the virgin part, and I _know _she doesn't qualify for the _pretty _part."

Miroku sniffed, and beat a fist to his heart. "Oh, fair Kagome, it's such a shame that you must be cursed to forever pine after this goon –"

Inuyasha grabbed his staff and hit him over the head with it. "Besides, it _can't _be anyone from the stupid festival. . . they only took Kagome."

Miroku gave him a confused look. "Inuyasha, I understand that you are vain, but you do know that they only take_ women, _right?"

Inuyasha bopped him on the head again. "Not me, stupid!" He swung the staff around. "Sango! They didn't take Sango!"

At this, Sango blushed and frowned, causing Inuyasha to drop the staff. Miroku hurriedly picked it up, so that Inuyasha wouldn't hit him with it again later. "Oh, no – you don't mean to tell me that you ain't a –"

"No, I'm not, not that it's any of your business." She said, not making eye contact.

"But. . . with who?" Miroku coughed, and smiled, looking very smug with himself, causing Inuyasha to pale with disgust. "Not the monk. . . Sango, don't you know better?" Inuyasha asked, feeling stupid for not noticing before.

Sango blushed, and scowled. "This isn't the time to talk about this!" She exclaimed. "Right now we need to find out who took Kagome!"

Miroku picked up a small, brown bean. "It was Quetzalcoatl." He said, breathlessly.

Inuyasha smiled. "Great! Now we know who he is, and now all we need to do is _find _him, and she'll be fine!"

Miroku shook his head. "Not at all." He said, and handed the bean to Inuyasha. "This is the bean of the cocoa plant, and it produces a magically drink called xocotal."

Inuyasha shrugged. "What's that got to do with Kagome?"

"Quetzalcoatl is the Serpent God who stole xocotal from the gods and brought it to Earth – and for his crimes he was banished from his ruling kingdom, from a land far across the ocean, to the East" Miroku told him. "And Kagome is a _miko. _Kagome is a very, very _special _miko."

Inuyasha didn't look like he was catching on.

"Who also _happens _to be a virgin."

He still didn't look like he was quite getting it.

"Quetzalcoatl is going to take Kagome's virginity so that she has to use all of her powers from that point forward in his name!" Sango said, getting tired of Miroku trying to play diplomat.

For a second Inuyasha didn't react.

And then Inuyasha screamed a battle cry, and charged through the underbrush in the direction of the procession of virgins.

* * *

The men returned well after night had fallen, with multitudes of dead rabbits and deer as their prizes. There were four of them now, by Kagome's count, but Quetzalcoatl still appeared to be the leader.

He also appeared to be the best hung among them. _Whoosh! _Kagome thought, hoping that not _all _men were that big – they would never fit inside of her!

As if Quetzalcoatl knew what she was thinking, he turned and flashed her a reptilian smile, reminding her that he was no ordinary man. . . but then, Kagome thought, not many men in her life _were _ordinary.

"Men!" Quetzalcoatl said in a heavy, accented baritone, causing everyone to cease talking. Kagome would have talked, just to spite him, but she suspected that's why he hadn't taken the silence spell off of her yet. "Tonight we prepare for Lupercalia!" A few cheers came from around the camp, as well as a few feminine whimpers. He raised his hands again, and everyone was silent. "We 'ill feed the women the meat o' the animals that we 'ave 'aught for 'em today. . ." He walked by the fire, giving Kagome a good view of his naked ass. ". . . and by the light o' the morning, we'll give 'em a whippin' ta make 'em fertile and ready for child birth!"

Kagome gasped – she had heard the other girls talking about it, but it was _different _to hear him say it (it was probably the accent.)

"After the festival, the missies 'ill be released – we'll be more than 'appy to escort you 'ome, and the men are allowed to propose at that time. The parents, 'o course, will ask 'or dowries." There was much clapping, and Kagome sensed that this was the end of his speech. So did everyone else, obviously, because when Quetzalcoatl raised his hands a third time, they weren't immediately silent – rather, they whispered Agitatedly for a moment before Quetzalcoatl frowned. They were silent, and Quetzalcoatl smiled again, back in good humors.

"We 'ave a special treat this year, though – a miko!" Quetzalcoatl proclaimed, stepping aside. "And after the whippings, should she bleed, she shall 'ake the vow and stand by my side, my only current consort!"

Kagome wasn't sure what consort meant, but she thought that she had the gist. There was more clapping, and Quetzalcoatl turned back to her, giving her a view of him at half-mast. Her eyes snapped up to his face, that was contorted with laughter. "Oh, ain't you a sweet one, then!" He said, and cut her down. "You will not be five steps from me without my permission, you 'ear?" He commanded in her ear, a rich, rolling tone. Kagome nodded, and he released her. "That's a good girlie, 'en. Tell me, wot's your name?"

Kagome tried to speak, and scowled at him. Quetzalcoatl broke out in a new stream of laughter. "Right, right. I 'ink you've been silent long enough, then!" He said, and Kagome felt her tongue loosen. "So: Wot's your name?"

Kagome touched her throat, and sniffed a bit. "Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome."

"Och!" Quetzalcoatl said, sitting down by the fire. "C'mon 'en, Higurashi Kagome, and sit 'ith me by 'es 'ovely fire." He patted the ground next to him, and Kagome walked over of her own accord. "Be a dear and 'and me that there bunny rabbit, would 'ja?" He asked sweetly, and Kagome complied, trying to get him to not command her anymore.

Quiet frankly, she would rather do what he asked of her own free will than to be forced to.

"You know, you can just call me Kagome." She told him, pulling her knees up close to her chest. "And you _could _put some clothes on. . . all of you could."

Quetzalcoatl laughed again, and Kagome found it a bit contagious. "I 'ould say the same for you, Kagome!" He pronounced it Kag-ow-my, but Kagome found it a bit endearing, so she didn't bother to correct him.

Kagome gave him a dead pan look, though, and he smiled at her. "Look at 'em." He said, and swept a hand in front of him. "They're all 'avin' a great time!"

"Except for the women. . ." Kagome grumbled, and Quetzalcoatl glanced down at her.

"'orry, love. Didn' quite catch that."

"The women!" Kagome sighed. "They probably aren't exactly looking forward to being whipped in the morning. . ."

Quetzalcoatl finished separating the rabbit from the skin, and stretched the skin out in front of the fire. "I keep 'orgettin. . . you missies in da 'uture don' believe in this 'ort of rubbish anymore, don't'cha?"

Kagome shrugged, and remembered an earlier question she had. "How. . . how did you know that I was from the future?" She asked quietly, trying not to offend this guy because she actually kinda liked him. Not enough to let him _whip _her, but he wasn't such a bad guy.

Quetzalcoatl shrugged. "When _'ou_get to be as ole' as I am, which I pray you never 'ill be, _'ou_get to recognize a lot of things. . . for example, 'our clothes."

Kagome glanced down. She knew that her clothes were unorthodox in this time period, but she had seen a few people dressed in the like. "What about them?"

"They're cotton, aren't they?" He asked, and when she nodded he nodded too. "Ole' man Thyme 'use ta be a good friend o' mine, and he would bring all sorts o' goodies from da future 'or me. Got this Walkman thingy once, why, 'at was pure genius on the human races behalf, tell you wot!"

Kagome frowned as she turned back to the fire, staring in to it deeply. Quetzalcoatl, in an incredible act of 15th century male insight, must have realized that something was wrong, because he stopped teasing her to try to comfort her. "Kag-ow-my?" he asked quietly, so quietly she almost didn't hear it over the roar of the ceremonies. "Wot's wrong, then?"

"This. . . _special event _that I am supposed to take part in. . ." She began timidly.

"Oh, the one where _'ou_ become my consort?" He asked teasingly.

Kagome sighed. "Yeah. . . that one. What exactly does that mean?"

Quetzalcoatl shrugged. "Well, aint all 'ya mikos trying ta get 'oarselves a 'od's grace anyways?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head. "Not me. I want a husband, and kids, and –"

"I 'an give you _( accent 'ou ) _all 'ose things." He told her. "I can _be _'oar 'usband, 'cuz I can't go back to 'eavan anyways."

"Why not?" Kagome asked.

"I stole 'omething from the other 'Ods for you humans, and most 'o _'ou_don' even know it." He said, shaking his head.

And suddenly Kagome remembered where she had heard the name Quetzalcoatl before. "You mean. . . the cocoa bean?" She asked. "I thought that was just a silly legend!"

Quetzalcoatl flinched. "You wound me, you pretty thing!" He said, and began to prepare the rabbit meat. "This is for _'ou,_ by the by." He informed her.

"That's nice. . ." Kagome conceded, "But I don't think that I can do it."

"Do wot?" Quetzalcoatl asked, though he knew what she was talking about. "Eat?"

Kagome shook her head. "I can't be your consort. . . I don't love you."

"I can make _'ou_ love me." He informed her, letting the magic seep in to his voice.

"But then, I don't really love you, do I?" Kagome said.

"But _'ou_won' know."

"But _you _will." Kagome reached in to her skirt pocket and pulled out some spices that Kaede had given her. "And I've got your number – you don't like _forcing _people to do your will."

Quetzalcoatl shrugged, and accepted the spices. "It 'as it's moments." He admitted. He looked over her, looking perplexed. "'Ow did you figure that out?"

"How come you haven't forced me to shut up yet?" Kagome countered, shrugging. "Plus, there's this guy I know who doesn't ever tell me anything unless I pull teeth!" She said, her anger flaring. "So I got pretty good at reading people."

"'ou love 'im?" Quetzalcoatl asked.

Kagome blushed and shook her head quickly. "No, no, no!" She insisted. "How could anyone love that crude, rude obnioxus _boy!?_" She ground out. "He is most _certainly _NOT my type."

"Then there's no _real _'roblem." Quetzalcoatl said, quickly shoving the rabbit beneath the coals. "If you _were _in love with 'im, 'en I might consider lettin' you go, but since you don' love 'im. . ."

Kagome frowned, and stared in to the fire. _Inuyasha, please get here quick – I'm in so much trouble!_

* * *

"When I catch up with her," Inuyasha ground out, stomping after them angrily. "She is in _so _much trouble."

"Inuyasha. . ." Sango panted behind him, struggling to keep up. "It's not _her _fault that she's a virgin."

Miroku laughed a bit at this. "Actually, it's _yours!" _

This caused Inuyasha to stop in his tracks, and bare his teeth at them. "What?!" He hissed, his eyes flashing for a moment. The Tetsuiga lit up a bit, and Inuyasha's eyes returned to normal.

Miroku didn't goad him on further – if his demon blood was struggling to get free, then obviously Inuyasha was torn up about the whole incident. "Listen, Inuyasha. . . it's not your fault. . ."

"What a crock!" Inuyasha growled, and continued to stomp through the thick foliage. "I'm the one who didn't wake up. . . I'm the one who made her come in the first place."

"What are you talking about, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "There's some holiday in the future. . . Valentine's Day. . . it's today, and she wanted to stay in her time."

"Well?" Miroku asked. "Why didn't you let her?"

Inuyasha tossed a glare over his shoulder, but then sighed. "It's a. . . _lover's _holiday." He conceded.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a pleased look, and both realized that they were getting somewhere. "So. . . why wouldn't you let her stay there?" Miroku repeated.

Inuyasha stopped, and bowed his head. Miroku and Sango waited a few moments in silence, knowing that Inuyasha was mentally counting to ten.

"Because. . . I wanted to ask her to be my Valentine." He ground out silently.

"What was that, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "I couldn't quite hear you. . ."

"I SAID I WANTED HER TO BE MY VALENTINE!"

Sango smiled. "So is _that _why you insisted one Shippo staying in the village?"

Miroku nodded. "So that he could get a little alone time with Miss Kagome. . ."

"SHUDDUP, YOU FREAKS!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "At least I'm not. . . fornicating with her!"

Sango and Miroku clapped. "We didn't know you _knew _that word – good job, Inuyasha!" Sango exclaimed.

They walked on again for a little while in silence before Miroku opened his fat mouth. "You know, Inuyasha, if you and Kagome had just _fornicated, _we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

Earning him a well placed punch.

Sango sighed, and shook her head. "Men."

* * *

Daylight broke on Lupercalia, and Kagome was roused, slowly, by someone shaking her shoulders. "Kag-ow-my?" Quetzalcoatl nudged her gently. "It's time."

For the first few seconds of consciousness, Kagome didn't respond. After all, she had to be dreaming, right? Because only in a _nightmare _would Inuyasha not come to rescue her.

But When Quetzalcoatl pulled the coverings off of her, and she shivered, she sighed. "He didn't come, then." She whispered quietly, watching the other girls being hauled away by the men. There were more than she had thought – at least ten, as opposed to the four she had seen the night before.

"'O didn' come?" Quetzalcoatl asked.

Kagome shook her head. "No one." She looked about, trying to find a way to escape.

"Remember, no mor' 'en five steps." Quetzalcoatl commanded, reminded her of the spell he had cast over her.

Kagome frowned, and began to plan. She was weaponless – but he was naked. If she could get her hands on something even remotely weapon like, she could probably force him to take the spell off.

"C'mon, 'en." Quetzalcoatl helped her stand up. "I prepared 'ourwhip special, from the skin of the bunny rabbit you ate last night."

The practicality actually helped to soothe her a bit.

She followed the precession of girls, trembling with fear.

"'Ouexcited, love?" Quetzalcoatl whispered near her ear.

Kagome shivered, and smiled demurely. "Yes, of course."

It sounded like a lie, even to her.

* * *

"Daybreak, Inuyasha." Miroku said, panting. "I can't keep going like this. . . we've been walking for over twenty four hours. . ." Miroku collapsed to the ground.

Inuyasha growled. "And we'll walk another twenty four until we find her!" He said, picking the monk up. "Lazy bastard!" He said, hitting him upside the head.

"But it's too late!" Miroku sighed, yawning. "She's probably being whipped as we speak."

Inuyasha paled considerably, and Miroku instantly regretted his words. "Listen, Inuyasha, I'm tired, and I didn't mean it. It's just that people aren't _like _you. . . we need to rest occasionally –"

"Shush!" Sango commanded, cupping her hands to her ears. "Listen!"

_The time of Lupercalia is o'pon us once again!_A foreign accent exclaimed in butchered Japanese. _And we are blessed – a miko is with us today! And after the ceremony, I shall make her my consort!_

Sango turned back to the boys – but Inuyasha was already gone.

Sango made a move to follow him, but Miroku grabbed her arm. "Miroku!" She exclaimed, pulling against him. "We have to go help! He might need back up!"

Miroku gave Sango a deadpan look, and she blushed. "Okay. . . he might need someone to stop him from killing everyone." She said.

Miroku shrugged, and spun her close to him. "Kagome's there. She'll sit him if it gets too bad." He said, and pulled at the ribbon that held her kimono on. "But you know. . . it _is _Lupercalia. . ."

Sango sighed. "This is not the time _or _the place, Miroku!"

"But Kagome will probably want to thank Inuyasha for rescuing her, and you know how embarrassing that would be if _we _were there."

Sango didn't want to admit it, but he did have a point. . . and his fingers on her neck felt _awfully _nice.

"C'mon, Sango – bear my children?"

Sango groaned. "I'd prefer it if you were to ask me to be your Valentine. . ." she complained, pulling at his clothes.

Miroku shrugged. "Whatever gets me laid."

And before she could yell at him, tell him that there was no way she was ever, _ever _sleeping with him again, he was kissing her pretty little mouth quiet, kissing her senseless.

What the hell, she thought. It's Lupercalia.

* * *

"The time of Lupercalia is o'pon us once again!" Quetzalcoatl announced, with Kagome standing by his (naked) side. "And we are blessed." He told them, grabbing Kagome's shoulders. "A Miko is with us today."

Kagome looked down, and saw a bone from the night before. _Obviously, someone wasn't very good at cleaning up their mess. _She thought snidely, but kicked the dirt around it to hide it a bit, so that Quetzalcoatl wouldn't see it and consider it a weapon.

"And h'after da ceremony, I shall make her my consort!"

He released her shoulders, and she ducked, grabbing at the ground for the bone.

"THE HELL YOU WILL!" She wanted to scream, but someone beat her to it.

"Inuyasha!" She cried, and wrapped her hands around the thick bone. "Help me!"

And then he was between her and Quetzalcoatl, his blade drawn and his fangs bared. "This here is _my _Valentine, so back off, _snake!" _

Kagome was so startled, she almost dropped her bone. "I never said I would be your –"

"Quiet!" Inuyasha barked at her, and stepped back. "Stay close." He commanded, and gave a quick once over the scene. All of the men were naked, and the women topless – obviously, he had made it just in time.

Kagome went to take a step back, and felt fire begin to lick at her skin. Jumping forward, she realized that was the edge of the five step area. "Inuyasha. . ." She whispered. "Don't _step back!" _She hissed out under her breath.

Inuyasha looked back for an instant. "Why?" he asked. "I don't see nothing?"

Quetzalcoatl smiled. "Kag-ow-my." He whispered. "You shall leave _three _steps of me."

Kagome felt the barrier pass her over, and suddenly her entire body was engulfed in invisible flames. "ARGH!" She screamed, so loudly that she felt her throat begin to bleed. Inuyasha, in a moment of 15th century masculine genius, realized what was going on, and thrust her in to Quetzalcoatl arms.

"Don't do that to her!" He exclaimed. "Take the spell off of her, right now!" He commanded.

Quetzalcoatl laughed. "I don't think that _you're _in much of a position to be commanding me of anything." He said, holding Kagome in his arms.

Inuyasha smirked, and glanced his naked form over. "I was about to tell you the same thing."

Quetzalcoatl shrugged. "Details, details. I have Kag-ow-my, and you have a sword. So please, if you wan' your girlie to live, put the sword down."

Inuyasha was obviously struggling with the decision, and Kagome shook her head quickly. "No, Quetzalcoatl!" She exclaimed. "He needs that sword, _you don't understand!" _

Inuyasha smiled. "You can pull me out of it, Kagome." He said, tossing the sword aside and accepting his demon blood. "You have before."

Quetzalcoatl shivered, suddenly unsure as he felt the demonic energy surge around him. "Wot's goin' on?" He asked. "Answer me, Kag-ow-my!"

"Her name is Ka – Go – me." Inuyasha whispered in a voice that didn't belong to him. He smiled at her with his vicious killer teeth, and gazed at her longingly with blood stained eyes. "And she's my _Valentine." _

_Whoosh!_ Kagome thought. Admissions like that certainly did something to her stomach.

* * *

When Inuyasha woke up, the plateau was empty, except for Kagome, who was fixing a fire. He grabbed his head, and tried to pretend the copper taste in his mouth was anything except –

"Oh, you're awake at last, I see." Kagome said, walking over to him. "How are you feeling?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Tired. . . confused. I don't remember much." He focused on her face, and saw a blood smear over neck and mouth. Pointing to them, he frowned. "What happened? Where's the snake?"

Kagome shook her head. "He. . . left." She said.

Inuyasha was quiet. "I . . . I didn't. . ."

"Kill anyone? No." She smiled, and sat down next to him. "You certainly gave him a whippin', though."

He whispered something along the lines of _that asshole had it coming, _but Kagome didn't quiet catch it. "So, how'd you get all that blood on you?"

Kagome blushed. "Well, you apparently _really _wanted to get back to normal again, and the sword just _wasn't going to cut it._" She said, teasingly. "If you catch my drift."

Inuyasha blushed furiously. "Listen, I'm not in my right mind when I'm a demon. I do crazy things that I _know _I'll regret later, and I said stupid things, and I'm an _idiot._" Inuyasha said. "So don't hold me accountable for anything stupid that I do."

Kagome nodded. "Understandable." She said.

"Exactly."

"Then you'll understand when I do this?" Kagome asked, and leaned over to kiss him. Inuyasha was dazed for a moment, and all he could think was that her mouth tasted like blood too, before he took over the kiss.

A few heady minutes later, Kagome glanced up at him. He was sitting astride her stomach, holding her hands over her head. "Why'd you do that?" Inuyasha asked her, kissing her again. "Don't you know –" another kiss – "That I'm all kinds of wrong for you?"

Kagome leaned up, and nibbled on his lips. "I'm not in my right mind when I'm in love." She admitted. "I do crazy things that I _know _I'll regret later, and I say stupid things, and I'm an idiot."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Well, you're doing something wrong then."

"Why's that?" Kagome asked.

"Because you aren't going to regret this later."

* * *

"So, that's how it happened." Kagome told Shippo, omitting a few of the raunchier details.

Shippo nodded. "Okay, but that _still _doesn't explain how you got those lash marks on your back – I thought you said Quetzalcoatl never whipped you?"

Kagome blushed. "He didn't – but Inuyasha sure knows how to."

And from the corner, Inuyasha blushed and ducked his head. "Listen, I'm not in my right mind when I'm a demon! I do crazy things that I –"

"Shut up, Inuyasha." Kagome said, smiling.

And surprisingly enough, he did.

Kaede laughed, and glanced out the window. "I'll be right back, so don't cause any trouble."

She stepped out in to the deserted village and glanced around. "I know you're here, Quetzalcoatl." She said.

"Aw, am I so easy to find?" He asked, trailing his hand up Keade's arms in a slow, rhythmic pattern, and leaning in to kiss her aged neck.

Kaede sighed, and allowed him to do as he wished. "I am an old woman, you beast."

"I can fix it." Quetzalcoatl insisted. "I can make you as young as you were 'at 'irst Lupercalia, when I found ja outside o' the village. The poor, orphaned miko. . ."

Kaede felt her skin begin to tighten, and she knew if she were to look in the mirror, it would be like looking in to the past. "Stop that." She said, swiping her fifteen-year-old hands at him. "You're going to give me a heart attack!"

"Did I do well, Consort?" He asked her, paying no heed to her complaints.

"Very well." She conceded. "They are _finally _together."

Quetzalcoatl smiled roguishly. "So, when do I get to collect me prize?"

Kaede gave him a flat look. "And what prize would that be? We never agreed on a prize if you got Inuyasha admit he loved Kagome."

"But he gave me _such _a beating. . . and I lost _so _much blood. . ."

"Drama queen." Kaede tested the insult Kagome had taught her. "You don't need blood, and you know it."

Quetzalcoatl shrugged. "There are _some _things I need blood for. . ."

Kaede sighed. "You are so _bad _to this old woman. . ."

"I don't think you're so old. . ." He grumbled.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

_The End._


End file.
